May & Baker 4 Hutton 2

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday 18th August 2020 

My ninth pre -season this month saw me over in the Romford/Dagenham area at The Robert Clack Leisure Centre for a match between Eastern Senior South May & Baker and Essex Olympian Premier side Hutton in my first match under floodlights this season.

May & Baker, who were the hosts this evening, enjoyed a pretty decent campaign last season before the null and void scenario halted their promotion push towards the Essex Senior League, sitting in the last promotion spot in fourth when the season was ended, only behind third placed Little Oakley on goal difference too.

They would of also harboured hopes of a push for the top two as well but alas it wasn’t to be and they will have to go again this season, and their campaign in pre-season has been a mixed one so far, thrashing ESL side St Margaretsbury before losing to Spartan South Midlands Enfield Borough and then sharing a topsy turvy 4-4 draw at Olympian Premier Harold Wood Athletic at the weekend.

Their opponents Hutton endured a difficult season in the Olympian Premier before the season was curtailed, they sat second bottom having only collected eighteen points from their fourteen games although this does not tell the whole story.  They had plenty of games called off due to the weather and although they did not score too many their defensive record was the fourth strongest in the division.

Their pre-season campaign has been very very encouraging too, winning all their games so far and scoring plenty too, and they are tipped by many to do well this season, but this was the first pre season test against a side higher up in the pyramid, Hutton are Step Seven whilst Bakers are a step above in Six and could easily be Step Five had the season finished last time around, so this would be a stern test for Hutton, although Bakers knew this would be a tough test for them too.

After waiting for a previous session booked on the 3G to come off the facility, the game didn’t kick off until 8:08pm, eight minutes late, but we didn’t have to wait long for an opening as Bakers took the lead when Eddy Cooper swung a cross in from the left and it went over the keepers head and into the far corner.  Whether he meant it or not who knows, but it mattered not as the bottom line was it was a goal and the hosts head a second minute lead.

On 26 minutes it was two for the home side and a moment to forget for the visiting stopper, as a corner swung in from the right saw Jake Piper rise to send a downward header towards the right corner but it should have been a routine save for the keeper but he made a meal of it and saw him push the ball against the post and into the net.

And just before the half hour mark Bakers netted for a third time and again the visitors should of done better defensively as a deep cross to the back post saw the ball headed back into the danger zone where Scott O’Connor was placed totally unmarked and he duly rammed home an unstoppable effort into the net and the hosts had a three goal lead to take into the break.

Half Time May & Baker 3 Hutton 0

Hutton had shown signs of their attacking prowess in the first period, especially towards the end of the first period, and they were soon knocking on the door and had a great chance to pull one back when they were fouled inside the hosts box, but the penalty was well saved by Bakers keeper Frankie Worboyes and it remained 3-0.

It did not remain that way for long though as in the 58^th minute the visitors swung a cross in from the left and just like Bakers opener flew over Worboyes and into the far corner, and again did he mean it or not?  Who knows but it was most certainly 3-1.

Five minutes later and with Hutton now totally in the ascendency they pulled another goal back and it is one that Worboyes will want to forget in a hurry.  A back pass to him saw the keeper take a total air shot trying to clear the ball and see it roll behind him and into the net, and suddenly it was now 3-2 and you felt the visitors would surely find a leveller at least.

Seven minutes later though Bakers won a free kick just outside the box after a good run from Henry had seen him fouled, and George Dawood stepped up and curled a brilliant free kick around the outside of the wall and in at the near post, it was a lovely strike and totally caught out the keeper.  It also meant Bakers had a two-goal cushion for the final twenty minutes.

Hutton continued to attack in the latter part of the contest but just could not find the net, and it meant Bakers recorded their second preseason win although they were certainly second best in the second period.  A very good workout for both though and both sides can take plenty from it for sure.  A very enjoyable contest too!!!

Full Time May & Baker 4 Hutton 2

 

Southend Manor 1 Stanway Rovers 1

Pre Season Friendly, Saturday 15th August 2020 

My latest pre-season journey was easily my shortest as I popped over to Southchurch Park for a contest between Essex Senior League side Southend Manor and Stanway Rovers from the Thurlow Nunn Premier in what was a hotly contested encounter in humid conditions on the Essex coast.

Manor had contacted me during the week to let me know about this game and said I was welcome to come along so I decided to attend in the end after weighing up other options on the table today, but a nice leisurely stroll through the park via the café to pick up a coffee and twix bar to the ground seemed the best thing to do and no stress of trains/buses/taxis.

The early 12:30pm kick off time also appealed as I could get back home afterwards (a ten minute stroll away) to watch the snooker, so it seemed the best thing to do, and the rain of late seems to have done the pitch some good at the ground after a lengthy spell of dry weather and poor maintenance from the council saw the pitch very dry and very bobbly.

The hosts pre season results wide hadn’t been too good but results don’t really matter at this stage, it’s all about building a squad for the upcoming season to try and improve on what had been a largely difficult campaign for them although some of their performances had been decent but they didn’t have the results to show for it perhaps.

They welcomed a Stanway side to Southchurch Park who after a brief unsuccessful spell in the Essex Senior League, encountered a very good season back in the Thurlow Nunn Premier last campaign and sat third and only behind second placed Norwich United on goal difference and eight points ahead of fourth placed Newmarket Town, so they were preparing for another assault on the top places once again and hoping to topple the mighty Stowmarket Town although that may to be much to do.

The opening forty five minutes saw Stanway have three great chances to take the lead after a fairly even opening spell of the game, and also a flashpoint on the left side after a tangle between two opposing players, in what was another very hotly contested game, but four minutes before half time Stanway did manage to grab the lead when after great work down the left, a ball in was helped on and saw a close range finish rammed home and saw the side from North Essex go into the break a goal to the good.

Half Time Southend Manor 0 Stanway Rovers 1

Manor, although competitive so far in this one, had been second best for a large part of the opening half, so knew some improvements would be needed, and they certainly came out early on in the second period the better of the two, and nine minutes into the period levelled when a cross from Joe Elliot found the head of Jamie Price whose downward header should have been saved but slipped through the keepers grasp and over the line.

And for a time after this Manor were doing the attacking and it was Stanway who were having to do some defending, it had been a much better showing in this half from the hosts against a decent Stanway side.

The visitors though rode that storm and then had two brilliant efforts to try and retake the lead, firstly sending a dipping long range effort against the underside of the bar, and then Michael Acquah, on for first choice keeper Clinton Mayakabo, made a wonderful double save to deny the visitors.

The game, like many other pre season games I’ve seen this season, had a bit of an edge to it at times, as both sets of players left nothing on the table, so this made it another very enjoyable game to watch, and at times you could be forgiven to think it was a league or cup clash, such was the intensity and aggression at times.

This almost boiled over a minute or so from the end as from nothing a flare up which did see a punch thrown right in front of me on the hallway line saw a melee ensue, but the referee sensibly let it all calm down and spoke to the ones in question before asking them to remain calm for the final minute and decided not to dish out any punishment.  There is no doubt in a league/cup fixture that would have been a red card.

But it showed how much even friendlies mean to these players, they have been without football for so long and I feel this might be one reason why the games I am watching feel much more competitive in pre-season.  It certainly makes the games exciting to watch!!!

In the end then a draw was how it ended, I was certainly pleasantly surprised with how Manor played, lots of promise and a youthful side too, and plenty to work with indeed.  This was a tough Stanway side they came up against so they should be very pleased with how they did, especially second half.

For the visitors on another day they go in at the break three or so goals to the good, but they did withstand a early second half fightback from the hosts but probably felt they had enough openings to win this one, so they can take plenty from this too no doubt.  But a very decent contest and one I enjoyed watching.

Full Time Southend Manor 1 Stanway Rovers 1

Wakebury 4 White Ensign Reserves 1

Pre Season Friendly, Wednesday 12th August 2020 

Pre-Season number seven prior to the 20/21 season saw me over at the Basildon Post Office ground for what was last season an Essex Olympian Division Three fixture as Wakebury took on White Ensign Reserves.

The post office ground has a very nice clubhouse which has all the markings down on the floor where you can and can’t go, and hand sanitizer as you walk in and also a lovely garden to sit in and watch the football from a distance if you so wish.  They also took you name and number for the track and trace system, so all is in place there and proof again things are safe.

Back to the football anyway and last season was Wakebury’s first at this level and led by Matt Cardy and Dan ‘D-Man’ Blewett (who I shared a car with too and from the game this evening which was good fun, thanks Dan for driving me there and back!!!) they were arguably the league’s most entertaining side having netted almost three goals a game in their nineteen league encounters, and they sat second behind leaders ACD United when the season was cut short.

And like ACD United, who I covered at Harold Wood Athletic the night before, they were most likely denied promotion to the next step, so they would have been looking to have another solid season and hoping to grab that promotion this time around.

In contrast Ensign Reserves struggled and were second from bottom in the table when the league was ended early, having conceded the most goals in the division to boot, 53 in their eighteen games, but with the side now moving over to the Essex Senior League Reserves Division and under the continued stewardship of Jack Caten, I am sure they will do all they can to improve this campaign.

Wakebury had got the better of Ensign in both their meetings in Division Three last season, and ‘The Berries’ were expected to do the same here, and after thumping a close range header against the bar, they took a fourth minute lead when Buglione cut inside onto his right foot before firing an effort beyond the keeper.

And just four minutes later Wakebury had a second when a wonderful pass from Kateley into the path of Buglione saw the latter send a finish in off the post, and Wakebury had a superb start to this one.

Buglione’s joy soon turned to pain though as after he stretched to win back the ball, this was hit against his foot and resulted in a rather painful blow to his left foot, which saw him carried off the pitch.  Hopefully, it is not too serious, and he will be back before the season begins because he had produced two decent finishes early on in this one.

The game was being played in a competitive spirit and sometimes frustrations got the better of some, and one Ensign player annoyed at the referee after his side one a free kick but saw no further punishment, showed dissent towards the referee and was sent to the ‘sin bin’ for ten.

And this proved costly as two minutes after that Wakebury added a third as a lovely corner from skipper Gore ( I had to add this in as he wasn’t best pleased I hadn’t added him in the original tweet!!!) found the head of Bonham-Dare whose header found the far corner and a third for ‘The Berries’.

Things then got a little more heated in the latter part of the half, Wakebury not happy with some of the treatment their players were getting whilst Ensign were frustrated with the referee, and it almost boiled over at one point after another coming together, but thankfully this was all calmed down.  It was certainly competitive in that sense!!!

But the half time break came and Wakebury had a three goal lead and it had been a good half from them, a half that saw the yellow cards and a sin bin…… their was a lot of committed folk playing in this one.

Half Time Wakebury 3 White Ensign Reserves 0

Ensign had started to show some life towards the end of the first period, and they carried this on in the early part of the second period too, but the full back who had been sin binned in the first period found himself in trouble twelve minutes after the restart when he took offence to a challenge from Bonham-Dare and squared up to him.

The referee looked like he was going to send off the player, but after thinking about it and one of the Ensign folk coming on to chat to the referee he decided to book him but ask him to leave the field and be substituted, so I think common sense prevailed in the end.  No point playing with ten men in a friendly after all.

Five minutes after that ‘The Berries’ added a fourth when brilliant work down the left from the tiresome and hard working Bonham-Dare saw him cross to the near post where the equally brilliant Kateley was on hand to fire a first time effort inside the near post

Ensign to their credit were much improved in the second period though and forced Druce (although hilariously I called him Bruce on twitter!!!) into making a couple of decent stops either side of the Wakebury fourth goal, .and with eighteen minutes left got a deserved goal for their second half endeavours when a ball squared back across the box was fired in to the far corner via the hand of Druce.

Wakebury though did have chances towards the end to add more, but it was a decent workout for both in the end in a game which at times was feisty but after that initial spell either side of the break calmed down somewhat in that department as both teams looked to play some decent football.

So, a very enjoyable evening catching up with some familiar faces and sharing a beer with Matt and Dan afterwards (which I paid for to thank them for the lift and thank them for making the evening possible, oh and Dan had a Coke as he was driving!!!) and talk local football and the like.  This is what I love about local football!!!

Full Time Wakebury 4 White Ensign Reserves 1

 

Harold Wood Athletic 3 ACD United 2

Pre Season Friendly, Tuesday 11th August 2020

My sixth preseason fixture ahead of the 20/21 season saw me over at Harold Wood Rec for an all Essex Olympian Football League encounter between Premier Division Harold Wood Athletic Division Three outfit ACD United.

Wood are trying to put a rather forgettable campaign behind them last season which saw them bottom of the pile on goal difference having only picked up eighteen points from their eighteen games played, and it saw a change of management at the end of the season as Kris Taylor decided to move sideways and bring in Alex Goldstone, formerly of Barkingside and Romford of course.

They hosts would have been in the ‘thank goodness the season was null and voided’ camp as they were in serious trouble and would have struggled to have avoided relegation to Division One, so they will be looking to avoid this happening again in the latest campaign which begins next month.

ACD United in contrast had a very good first season in the Olympian League having come across from the Essex Alliance League, and were in top spot having grabbed 43 points from their eighteen games having only lost one of those along the way, but sadly for them they were most likely denied promotion to the Second Division at least when the season was curtailed early in March.

Still, they will be looking to build on that first season in the Division and will no doubt be looking to emulate what they did last season as they look to push up the pyramid, so this certainly promised to be a tough test for both sides here on what was another warm sticky evening.

Wood were out of the traps faster but as the half went on ACD began to get a foot hold in proceedings and created the better chances before they did find the net in the 33^rd minute when a lovely free kick into the box saw a deft glancing header helped onto the goal and in off the post, and the visitors had the lead.

Four minutes before the break though a moment of madness from the visiting keeper gifted Wood a leveller four minutes before half time when a high cross saw him flap at the ball and escape from his grasp, and the Wood attacker had the simple task of ramming home the loose ball into the unguarded net.

This meant the game reached the break all square in what was another hotly contested friendly it must be said.  ACD probably the better side but that keeper error just before the break meant parity in this one.

Half Time Harold Wood Athletic 1 ACD United 1

ACD were caught napping straight away after the restart and fell behind barely a minute into the period when a ball in from the left found an unmarked attacker at the far post and he had the simple job of powering home a header from point blank, and Wood had turned this one around thanks to two goals either side of the break.

It was in this period that Wood threatened to take a strangle hold on the contest and did hit the post, and just past the hour mark they did add a third after yet more calamity from the keeper, as a ball forward saw him come and try and clear his lines with an attacker bearing down on him, but he totally mis kicked his attempted clearance and the attacker had the simple job of side footing home into the empty net, oops.

Very frustrating for the visitors who had played well but made mistakes at crucial times and all three Wood goals could and should have been avoided, but fair play to the hosts who punished these lapses to the max, and they now had a two goal cushion heading into the final quarter of the contest.

ACD to their credit kept playing the way they had been taught, and were soon causing Wood problems again, but despite lots of pressure in the final fifteen minutes they didn’t find a second goal until two minutes from time when a superb cross from the right was headed home brilliantly at the far post, and Wood had to see out the final few moments in the fading light with just a one goal lead.

But they held out and will be encouraged by this win against a very decent outfit who will no doubt be right up there in the Division Three standings again this time round.  A good competitive contest this was though, very enjoyable and plenty of positives for both sides to take from this decent workout.

Full Time Harold Wood Athletic 3 ACD United 2

Debden Sports 3 Global 3

Pre Season Friendly, Sunday 9th August 2020

Pre-Season number five saw me over a Debden Sports Club for a battle between two Essex Sunday Combination sides as Debden Sports took on Global in very warm conditions in Debden.

Surprisingly this was my first ever visit to the Sports Ground and it’s got an old wooden club house but it has a nice bar inside and facilities to make tea, coffee etc, so that’s more than most Sunday teams can offer.

And my good mate Martin Brazier, or Mart as we know him, who is joint manager with his son Callum of Debden Sports of course, ,made me a nice cuppa on arrival and gave me a bottle of water too, and his wife known as Mrs B had made me two rounds of sandwiches and some sausage rolls, so this was very well received  by myself and very much appreciated too, you can’t beat that sort of hospitality and kindness so that was lovely.

Sports were taking on Global who are arguably the best side in the Sunday Combination and were seven points clear at the top of the Senior Division when the season was cut short last campaign, winning ten of their thirteen games, whilst Debden had ended the season fifth out of eight in Division One, having won two, drawn five and lost only one of their eight leagues games last campaign.  Had they won both their games in hand on leaders Hillford though they would have been level on points with them, such was tightness of that division.

This would be a decent test for both then, and very warm conditions welcomed both sides at the Sports Ground, but it was the visitors who struck first in the ninth minutes when a long throw on into the box saw the keeper come but not get anywhere near it and he was beaten to the ball by an attacker who headed the ball into the unguarded net.

But less than a minute later Sports found a leveller as they hit back in the best possible way as a long ball through the Global defence saw a first time finish past the keeper and into the net as this one was 1-1 after ten minutes play.

Global then had a spell where they looked like they could retake the lead, but Debden were by no means being outplayed and were competing just as well, and nine minutes before the break Sports took the lead when after a defender had been done by the bounce of the ball off the rock hard surface, an attacker rammed the ball home behind him and it meant Debden would go into the break with the lead.

Half Time Debden Sports 2 Global 1

Sports could of increased their lead after half time with two early openings, but then Global went very close themselves when they struck the bar and eleven minutes into the second period did then level after another keeper error at the near post, seeing the ball slipping from his grasp after a cross to the near post, saw Global pounce and poke him from close range.

I know I said Global hit the bar, well I cannot remember if this was before of after their leveller, but what was certain is with eight minutes to go they found the lead for the first time since the ninth minute opener when a cross saw a defender head against the attackers head and see the ball go in at the near post, and you felt Global might just edge this one.

This wasn’t to be the case though as in the 89^th minute James Bransgrove, remember him, more known for his keeping skills in the senior game most recently with Walthamstow in the Essex Senior League and now training with Dunmow Town, had swapped his linesman duties in the first period for a spell up front in the second half here, powered home a header which despite the best efforts of keeper and defender on the line trying to keep it out, couldn’t and the ball squeezed over the line. (here is a video of that header, thanks to Mart for filming this for me and allowing me to use it for my blog)

Several minutes of injury time followed but neither side could force a winner, so this very entertaining game ended all square.  Special mention for the 17 year old keeper in goal for Global in the second period, he looked very good and made two really good saves and had presence in the box and command of his area, so he certainly staked a claim for the number one jersey that’s for sure.

It was a decent work out for both sides though and plenty for both managers to ponder as their pre-season campaigns continue next weekend.  This was an entertaining game though and both sides should be applauded for that.

Full Time Debden Sports 3 Global 3